Wilting Flower
by Argos214
Summary: A simple strike to his back and Ne Zha somehow enters the Ninth Hell. Ah Muzen Cab meets him there by chance as he sought revenge from Ah Puch. As a grueling talisman clings onto the prince's back, the Bee God decides to help the child return to the surface safely. All while an unlikely duo, Sun Wukong and Jing Wei, also search the battleground to rescue the weary flower.
1. Chapter 1

Ne Zha woke up in an unfamiliar realm, suddenly coughing and his back aching. He was in a cavern of some sort. Jagged stones and bleached white bones, covered by a heavy, purple mist, surrounded him. Any vegetation that grew was drooping and half-dead. The whole place reeked of rotting organs and degradation. He was coughing madly now, seeing no end to it. The smell started to cling to his nostrils as if it was trying to overtake his lungs. Ne Zha took his Armillary Sash and wrapped it around his nose and mouth, doing his best not to inhale the putrid stench.

The prince looked around. No entrance, no exit, as far as he could see. It seemed that whoever stumbled here did not come out alive. Anyone who had even half a brain would know that this was a realm of horror and atrocity. A realm of the dead. He placed his hand on the ground, ignoring the pain in his back to lift himself up, only to take hold of a decomposing... something. Ne Zha recoiled in shock. He had dealt with organs only once when he killed Ao Bing. The situation might not have ended well (Ao Kuang salty ass...), but at least they were fresh off the kill.

Now using his spear to fully stand up, Ne Zha tried to piece together what happened. _I was fighting that bastard, Zeus, and pretty well, too,_ he thought as he started walking on his flaming wheels, spear in hand to keep himself from falling back down _. I made sure he got a good whack in the face with my ring..._

As he walked further across the cave, he could hear quiet chirps coming from many places. He looked up, only to find stalactites and more mist.

His head made a pensive droop again and he continued to contemplate. _And I was THIS CLOSE to winning when something exploded behind my back, and now..._

He couldn't complete himself. The chirps became louder and louder, derailing Ne Zha from his train of thought. He was growing anxious. Somehow the cavern was growing more narrow. A cold, shrill laugh sent shivers down his spine. "Who.. who's there? Where on earth am I?" he demanded, his eyes focused on nothing.

Ah Muzen Cab buzzed hurriedly, struggling to maintain on Ah Puch's tail. _Maldito cadáver!_ he cursed. He ruined his hives; his undead minions crushed his bees underfoot. That bastard will pay!

The God of Decay's cruel laugh echoed in his mind. "Come now, bumblebee," he gloated. "You can still make more, can you?"

Tears formed in Ah Muzen's eyes, blurring his vision. "No one kills an entire forest of my bees and thinks they won't face my wrath!" he lashed back.

The scenery blurred around the Bee God's angry flight. From the dark greens of the Olympian forests, over the blues of the Atlantic, to familiar, lighter greens of the Mayan jungle, and finally to not-so-familiar violets and dark grays. He stopped abruptly, observing this new environment. Mist, rocks... corpses...

"Mitnal," Ah Muzen figured. Ah Puch had trapped him. But, if he is to avenge his fallen brethren, he cannot back down. He began to fly again, this time at a slower pace. He constantly checked for any traps that might catch any wrong turns, knowing the death god's... _habit_ of trapping mortals to their doom. The whole place was miserable. Many a soul had been pulled to these depths, innocent and sinful alike, only to remain as one of Ah Puch's rotting trophies. And the stench was disgusting! It stank of Ah Puch's many torturous spells and traps, and the decomposing bits of flesh only made it worse.

The Bee God coughed in disgust. "Ay ay ay! Wouldn't it kill him to clean up once in a while?" his voice echoed throughout the tunnel. He continued going, however, as his anger towards Ah Puch kept him going. Except for the little chirps here and there, all was eerily silent.

As he crept further into the cavern, a loud, childlike voice made him jump. "Get the hell off of me, you little bastards!" it yelled angrily. Ah Muzen cautiously approached the voice, hoping it was not one of Ah Puch's illusions. As the mist parted, he could make out a figure: slim, graceful, donning all kinds of reds and pinks. A crimson, scarf-like fabric was wrapped around his nose and mouth. Ivory skin, raven hair, golden eyes, not too masculine yet not too feminine.

 _Prince Ne Zha,_ the bee he got closer, the stranger seemed to be driving away some small, fluttering things away. They seemed to try to injure the poor boy, biting and tearing at his flesh. Looking closer, they appeared to be bats. _Camazotz,_ Ah Muzen thought in disgust. Wanting to be a gentleman, he summoned some of his bees to help. "Fly, friends!" he exclaimed.  
 **  
~~~~~~**

"Huh?!" Ne Zha gasped. Creatures smaller than the bats - bees? - began fighting the bats away. They scampered around, stinging them until the furry pests had no choice but to flee. As the bats scattered, Ne Zha saw the bees buzzing another direction, towards a being much like them in appearance, only much larger and more humanoid. The little insects happily flew around him as he approached the prince.

"Prince Ne Zha, right? I don't believe we've met," the being said, his hand placed shyly on the back of his neck. "I am Ah Muzen Cab, Mayan God of Bees."

Ne Zha smiled through his sash. "Thanks for the save there, Ah Muzen Cab. Those bats were driving me crazy since I got here."

"Hmph. Camazotz has a habit of that. Besides that, however, how did you get here? This is no place for a little boy."

The lotus furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "I don't know. I was fighting Zeus and then something exploded on my back and I fell unconscious..."

"And when you woke up you arrived here?"

The prince nodded.

Ah Muzen crossed his arms. What would Ah Puch and Camazotz want with Ne Zha? Were they _that_ bored?

Just then he noticed Ne Zha wince in pain, holding onto his spear for dear life. "¿Qué te pasa?" Ah Muzen asked worriedly.

"Ugh... whatever got my back... it's certainly a handful," the prince stammered.

The Bee God hovered behind his back and found a small talisman on his left shoulder. It clamped through Ne Zha's shirt, onto his flesh. It had an all-too-familiar face, a small replica of Ah Puch's mask, flanked by a bat's wings, gathering the lotus' seeping blood. This was the last straw for Ah Muzen. "Hold on, this may hurt." He started to gently pull the talisman off, but it was stuck there, and it would only get more stuck if they struggled more to remove it. "Ugh, it's no use," Ne Zha said gloomily. "We'll have to make whoever made it take it off."

Ah Muzen growled, "And also make them get us out of here."

Ne Zha agreed, but the problem is: How?


	2. Chapter 2

"I swear, this is where I last saw him, honest!" Zeus tried to keep his voice even, but he simply could not believe the situation he was in! Holding up his hands in surrender, having no idea where that child - whoever he was - went, being pinned by a mere _monkey_ in the columns of his own palace, and cowering in _fear_ ,of all things! "I fought the child and he simply disappeared in a puff of smoke," he continued.

"Is that all you have to say, you bastard?!" Sun Wukong yelled with gritted, sharp teeth. "If you had _anything_ to do with this..." He pressed his cudgel harder onto Zeus' throat until he could see the latter starting to run out of breath. If there ever was a good time to pummel the King of Olympus, it definitely was now!

"Knock it off, Wukong!" Susano'o exclaimed, arms gripping his abdomen from behind. "He's the only lead we have!"

Zeus felt pathetic. To be humiliated in front of such a crowd, this was blasphemy! Zeus tried to electrocute the monkey but it only made him angrier. He was too persistent. _At least I will give him credit for that_ , Zeus thought. Even his eldest brother Hades was present, his bony arms crossed as the struggle continued. The King of Gods had no choice but to look to him for help. Ghostly greens met electric blues and after a moment the Lord of the Underworld sighed.

The Monkey King felt a hand placed on his bare shoulder, holding him back. He looked behind his shoulder to face its owner, Hades. "That's enough, Sun," said god declared, his low voice ringing in the monkey's ears. "This 'inquiry' has gone for long enough. Let him go." At that, Sun grudgingly removed his cudgel, letting Zeus fall to his knees and try to regain his breath. After things settled, Susano'o felt the Monkey King's shoulders relax as he wrapped his arm around the other's shoulder."I thought your eyes could see the true intentions of everyone, Super Saiyan," he whispered derisively.

Those same eyes coldly regarded him. "They can see evil through even the most clever of disguises," he corrected. "Even then, they don't read minds." Though Sun's gaze was condescending, the Japanese storm god could see the slightest red spread across his tan cheeks at his remark. At that, he simply let go of his shoulder, a victorious grin gracing his face. Sun Wukong merely scoffed at him and eyed Zeus once again.

Zeus stood up, his breath now steady. "So, you had your little spat. Are you satisfied?"

The Monkey King crossed his arms, gradually calming down. "Not until I have answers. For the fifth time, what happened when you fought Ne Zha?"

"Like I told you before, I was fighting him -"

"Hah! More like _running_ from him!" Susano'o began enthusiastically. "You should've seen it! That punk had him on a run!" He flailed his arms in different directions, imitating the motions of the battle he was describing. "He dodged those bolts like they were mere flies! And when he shot him up at the sky -"

"That's enough, Susano'o," Hades broke in, irritation obvious in his voice. He turned back to Zeus. "Continue, brother."

Jing Wei stood behind, trying to listen to Zeus' argument. But she was so preoccupied about Ne Zha's condition that she just decided to pace back and forth across the Olympian courtyard. _Where could he be?_ she thought. _He wouldn't disappear like this, and definitely not for this long._ She tried to put the worst scenarios out of her head. _Ne Zha's a strong guy, though. We'll find him._

She looked around as she walked. Sun Wukong and Hades listened to Zeus intently. The Titan of Order stood above them, calmly regarding their presence. Susano'o sat nearby, appearing lax despite the tense atmosphere. _Sure wish I were like him,_ she mused with a sigh.

Jing passed by the slumbering phoenix, gently petting its shiny sapphire feathers. A little further and Jing Wei spotted Skadi and Kaldr crouched down and looking at the ground for some reason. She strolled to take a closer look. "Whatcha looking at, Skadi?" she asked.

"Our way to the prince," the winter goddess answered. "Look here." She pointed to some strange lines. "These tracks look like they were something burning."

"Ne Zha's fire skates!" the bird recognized. "They always burn the ground a bit when he's using them."

Skadi nodded, considering this fact. "Hmmm, then that would explain these little things here."

Jing Wei looked closer, seeing Kaldr sniff happily at something that lined across the tracks. To her horror, she saw small, almost unnoticeable, pink petals scattered around the tracks. "Looking farther away," Skadi continued. "these tracks look like they were going forward to this spot."

"The exact same spot where Ne Zha disappeared, I bet."

Jing Wei and Skadi were surprised and turned to see Sun Wukong standing next to them. Kaldr wagged his tail to him. Sun continued, "Look even closer and you can see some kind of greenish powder on that spot." Kaldr approached the powder and sniffed. He quickly recoiled, apparently disgusted. Skadi looked and the evidence confirmed Sun Wukong's observation. "But what is the source of this substance?" she asked.

Susano'o approached the trio, taking a small sniff as he stood. "Smells like rotten flesh and misery to me," he regarded.

Jing Wei, Skadi, and Sun Wukong scouted the tracks once more when they saw Hades kneeling down, his eyes glowing grimly at the dust. "This looks all too familiar," he said.

"What? The powder?" Sun Wukong asked.

"Yes. Another death god has entered this land. The reason Ne Zha disappeared is because he is captured."

"Captured?!" Jing Wei asked, frightened. "Who did this? Why?!"

Hades looked up at the girl. "Ah Puch."

"SEE?!" Zeus bellowed. "I am not lying! That child -"

"His name his Ne Zha!" Jing Wei interrupted angrily.

Zeus rolled his eyes. "Whatever. _Ne Zha_ disappeared in some strange way and I am not responsible!"

"Have a heart for once, brother," Hades growled. "This Ah Puch is not one to be trifled with. Whatever soul he wants he gets, whether they like it or not."

"Well, why are we standing around here for?" Susano'o asked. "Let's kick that death god's butt!"

"Sure," Skadi agreed. "But with so many us trying to find him, Ah Puch will certainly catch us."

"I'll go," Sun Wukong declared silently.

"Alone?" Susano'o said. "But if that Ah Puch guy can catch a group, he can easily get to someone who's completely alone."

"Who said I was going alone?" Sun Wukong grabbed Zeus in a headlock, making the sky god shriek. "I'm keeping my eyes on you," the Monkey King snarled in his ear. "I don't care if you bitch about it all the way."

"Hades!" Zeus pleaded. "Help!"

Said god crossed his arms. "Ah Puch and I are both rulers of the dead. If he sensed my presence this rescue operation would be in vain."

"I... I'll go with you, Wukong," Jing Wei volunteered.

Hades blinked in surprise. "Are you sure, child? Ah Puch is a dangerous deity. He is not afraid to prey on anyone regardless of their strength."

"I survived a drowning from that darn Eastern Sea!" Jing Wei exclaimed proudly. "I can handle this!"

Sun Wukong eyed the girl with concern. "That may be so, but if he can capture someone like Ne Zha -"

"Ne Zha's my friend! If I were in his shoes, he'd do the same for me!"

The Monkey King smiled, surprised at this caring nature. "Well, fine, just stay close and _don't_ let go of that crossbow, you hear?" Jing Wei nodded happily in response.

"Any death god worth their souls can sense many a being with power in royalty," Hades chimed in. "That is why Zeus cannot go with you. If he were to enter his realm-"

"HAHA! I knew I could count on you, brother!" Zeus shouted happily. He let himself go from Sun Wukong's hold, much to the latter's annoyance. The sky god ran to Hades to hug him but was stopped by a restraining hand. "That's enough out of you. Just go back to the palace and rest your throat."

Zeus promptly did as he was suggested and victoriously pranced to the steps of the Olympian palace, sticking out his tongue at Sun Wukong as he left the other gods alone. Sun Wukong only sneered, dissatisfied. "Hey, at least you got to beat _something_ out of him," Susano'o reassured him.

"Should we get going, then?" Jing Wei asked. Sun Wukong nodded confidently. A puff of golden smoke and he was an eagle as he and Jing took flight. Hades sat down, relaxing by the phoenix as Skadi and Susano'o stood.

"Oh, come on! Can't _I_ get my fun?!" Susano'o whined.

Sun Wukong rolled his eyes. "This doesn't concern you!"

"Let it go, Susan," Skadi smiled and waved her hand dismissively. Susano'o eyed Skadi, surprised by the sudden nickname.

"If I may," Hades said, "Ah Puch's realm, the Ninth Hell, lies in the west, beneath the jungles of the Mayan Pantheon. A temple holds its entrance, but it is difficult to find. Be wary, because once you have entered chances of going back unscathed are almost impossible."

"We'll do it, anyway," Jing Wei said. "Anything to save Ne Zha."

"Very well. May the Fates be with you."

As Jing and Sun flew, Susano'o slowly walked up to Hades, crouching with a pout. "Do the Chinese gods always have something fun to do?"

"Being leaders of the Elysian Uprising, I'm sure they're quite occupied," Skadi replied.

"Regardless, these two are in a very perilous situation," Hades said with concern, his eyes on the two birds.


End file.
